OPTOELETTRONICA ITALIA SRL

Their core work

Optoelettronica Italia (Optoi) is a Trento-based SME specializing in biophotonic sensors and molecular diagnostics platforms. They develop optical detection technologies — particularly for reading microRNA and other circulating biomarkers in biological fluids. Their work bridges photonics hardware with clinical diagnostic applications, contributing sensor components and detection kits to projects targeting cancer screening and tuberculosis diagnosis.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

Optoi began in 2015 by coordinating miRNA-DisEASY, developing their own biophotonic sensor kit specifically for microRNA detection — establishing their core sensing technology. From 2019 onward, they shifted to applying that sensor expertise across broader diagnostic challenges: first tuberculosis diagnostics (ARREST-TB, their largest funded project at EUR 271K), then liquid biopsy for cancer screening (diaRNAgnosis). The trajectory shows a company moving from technology development to clinical application across multiple disease areas.

Optoi is expanding from a single-application sensor developer into a versatile diagnostics technology provider, increasingly targeting high-impact clinical applications like TB and cancer liquid biopsy.

How they like to work

Optoi operates as both a project initiator and a specialist contributor. They coordinated one project (miRNA-DisEASY) and joined two others as a partner, suggesting they can lead small focused efforts but are equally comfortable contributing sensor expertise to larger consortia. With 19 unique partners across 10 countries from just 3 projects, they integrate into diverse international teams rather than relying on a fixed set of collaborators.

Despite only three projects, Optoi has built a surprisingly broad network of 19 partners across 10 countries, indicating participation in medium-to-large international consortia. Their network spans well beyond Italy, reflecting strong European connectivity for a small SME.

What sets them apart

Optoi sits at a rare intersection: they are a photonics hardware SME that speaks the language of clinical diagnostics. While many sensor companies stay in the engineering domain and many biotech firms outsource their detection hardware, Optoi bridges both — designing optical sensing platforms purpose-built for molecular biomarker readout. For consortium builders, they offer a compact, technically focused partner that can deliver the sensor subsystem for any biofluid-based diagnostic project.

Highlights from their portfolio

• ARREST-TB
  Largest funded project (EUR 271K) and addresses a global health priority — rapid, affordable tuberculosis diagnostics including multidrug-resistant strains.
• miRNA-DisEASY
  Optoi's only coordinator role, and the project that established their core biophotonic sensor platform for microRNA detection.
• diaRNAgnosis
  Most recent project (2021-2025) extending their sensor expertise into liquid biopsy for cancer, signaling their future direction.